As usual this was added to my list a while ago while gleaning through critics’ picks of most notable films but unsurprisingly as Israel isn’t a large country, we can recognize a couple of faces here from the television series Srugim. This one deals with the topic of marriage among observant Jews as well but doesn’t otherwise seem as if it was made by the same creative team. I did not like this film at all but I am amused that it is very different from what I would expect out of an American film using the same premise.
When her fiancé confesses that he doesn’t love her, putting an end to their marriage plans, it is the last straw for Michal. As she recounts to a fortune teller, she has been in the dating game for 10 years now and countless dates and just wants to be married already. The fortune teller assures her that her dreams will come true and recommends her to a wedding hall owned by her son. At the hall, she meets the owner Shimi and decides to go through with renting the hall and setting a wedding day despite having no groom. She tells everyone that she has faith in God that an appropriate groom will arrive on the wedding day. Her friends and family are skeptical but supportive but her rabbi warns that it is wrong to count on miracles from God. Meanwhile she continues to go on dates arranged by a matchmaker though none seem very promising. Then she goes on a one-day trip to the grave of Rebbe Nachman in Ukraine where she reveals that she no longer feels the presence of God in her life and a popular Israeli pop star Yoss overhears her and is sympathetic.
It’s easy to picture this premise being made into a Hollywood romantic comedy and you can even imagine the formula that it will follow, with light jokes interspersed throughout, supportive girlfriends, a little drama and a winding path to a happy ending. This too is billed as a romantic comedy and superficially, one can discern how it is similar in some ways. Having Michal earn a living by owning and running a mobile animal petting zoo for example is one of those quirky, cutesy character traits that would go over well in an American movie. But in most other respects, this film is so tonally and emotionally different that it’s hard tp see it as the same thing at all. There is nothing light or funny in this film and the desperation that drives Michael is real and palpable. There is also a lot of awkwardness and embarrassment here as well as everyone around her is convinced that she is just going to make a fool of herself. Again, this isn’t awkward in a good way but rather in a bad one as they fumble through conversations, drawing energy out of the film with every scene.
At the heart of this is the subject of religion because this film is being absolutely serious about Michael’s faith in God so it’s not something to crack jokes over. I wish the film had gone more in depth in how she reconciles her faith that this is indeed God’s plan for her with the rabbi’s admonishment that it is wrong to depend on God’s miracles. But as crazy as Michal’s plan sounds to most people, I can’t think of any reason why someone like her who absolutely does believe in God’s plan should not act this way. Indeed, once the people around her realize that this isn’t just a cheap prank on her part and she is absolutely committed to her path, they seem to come around not because this is romantic but it demonstrates her commitment and submission to God. Indeed I would interpret the sympathetic reaction she gets from people like Yoss as agreement that this is one way to cut out the distractions and obstacles in order to put yourself in your proper path in life. But obviously this isn’t a view that I share and as such it’s difficult for me to really advocate for this film.
At the same time I don’t believe that this is a well-made film in general. It looks little better than an extended episode of a television show most of the time and I’m inclined to think that the clumsiness of the dialogue is not by design. It is interesting to note that this is what Israel’s answer to the standard American romantic comedy looks like but that’s not a good enough reason to watch this.